Well, what we've got here is what you would call a "Dutch Wagon"! But I know what your thinking, What in Tarnation is a Dutch Wagon!?
Well.... A Dutch Wagon is sorta' like railroad slang for a 4-4-0 with internal pistons. Meaning that, unlike more traditional locomotives, the main rods were not connected directly to the drive wheel. But rather to a crank on the axle itself! We see this practice on a lot of English steam locomotives and that carried over a bit here in the states when locomotive building was still somewhat in its infancy.

Internal cylinders with main rods turning the axle itself was actually smoother and better balanced compared to a traditional arrangement where the pistons, crossheads, main and main rods were external. At least from what I've read and been told. However, as I'm sure some of you have already guessed, maintenance was VERY difficult and costly. Just physically getting to the cranks and barrings was difficult enough, let alone having to replace worn parts. And hence why engines like Dutch Wagons began to fade out of existence after the American Civil War. They're very unique engines and have a lovely aesthetic, but an be a challenge even from a modeler's prospective.

So far it may not seem like much, but it's some progress. This model has been a bit of a bear to work with, the previous owner didn't take very good care of it. The hardest part was removing the paint! I let all the metal parts soak in a jar of Penetrating Oil to help soften up the paint and to aid in removing it. There was at least FOUR layers of paint on this thing! :o
There was at least three paint jobs from the previous owner, one on top of the other. And the original factory paint. Although real railroads DID just paint over old coats to neaten and freshen up a locomotive's look, that doesn't work so well in small scale. The paint was so caked on it was drowning out details.

But anyway, with the help of a wire wheel on a dremel tool and a dental pick I was able to remove 99.99% of the paint and reveal the bare metal underneath. There are still tiny bits here and there, but I'll flake em' off when I get to them.

Some other challenges were the pilot and the smoke stack... both were non-existent. The previous owner having hacked off the original pilot in an attempt to scratch built his own out of bass wood. And the original stack was just broken off. Whether intentional or unintentional is unknown. A smokestack from a Tyco Rogers 1890 4-6-0 was used as a replacement, which wasn't too bad.

Soooo.... thus far I've removed most of the running broads, aside from what is seen from the Wagon Top back. I'll go and remove what I can of the rest with a cutting disc and then grind whatever is left off until there's a smooth finish, just like my Texas model. The stack was made from the Tyco one that came with it. I cut off the top portion and filed it flat. I also filed the bottom of the stack to that it was flat and smooth. I then bored a hole and filed the hole larger so that I could insert a piece of brass tubing I have into it. This way I can give the stack more of a 'base' and increase its height. I'm still working on the overall design of the stack. I certainly want to go with something that looks Pre-civil War. I've been looking at a lot of designs and might make a hybrid of some form... or go the simple way and just put a domed mesh screen on the top!

The steam dome, just behind the stack, came off of the Clarke, a Bachmann old time 4-4-0 which is slowly being turned into my Eddy Clock locomotive. Since I have no use for the body shell I cut out the plastic steam dome and base and began sanding the base to the same diameter as the boiler. What was the original steam dome location will now have a steam pedestal, right in front of the cab. However I'm flip-flopping whether I want to use a square sand box, or use a sand dome.
I'm leaning towards the sand box, but I might change my mind.

However, the most recent development is the lead truck. Originally I was thinking about scratching one and spacing the leading axles close together, something seen on a lot of Dutch Wagons. But then I stated playing with the idea of having an outside bearing lead truck. I had a pair of spare B-mann old time tender trucks, so I'm playing around with them right now and I think it looks pretty darn good! The wheels are the original pilot wheels, having turned down their flanges a bit to look more realistic. I also chucked the original lead axles and turned the ends down until they were pointed and would din into the narrowly spaced frames.

However, the most difficult challenge will be a new pilot deck and 'low ankle' braces/frames, similar to what the W&A General had. (1862 configuration) I'd like to add an ornate builder's plate or something between the drivers. I'd like this engine to be one of my "gaudier" looking engines since its supposed to be a product of the late 1840s, early 1850s.

Anyway, it's not much so far, but hopefully you can get an idea of what I'm going for. PLEASE do leave comments! I really appreciate feedback and any suggestions you may have. Thanks!